海千山千

Yoji jukugo (四字熟語). According to legends, a 蛇 (ja, “snake”) who lived in the 海 (umi, “sea”) for a 千年 (sennen, “thousand years”) and in the 山 (yama, “mountains”) a thousand years could turn into a 竜 (ryū, “dragon”). See also the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

• (Tokyo) うみせんやません [ùmíséń yámáséń] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) う​みせんやません [úꜜmìsèǹ yàmàsèǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝmʲisẽ̞ɰ̃ ja̠ma̠sẽ̞ɴ]

• Yutōyomi
  • (Tokyo) うみせん [ùmíséń] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝmʲisẽ̞ɴ]

• Yutōyomi
  • (Tokyo) やません [yàmáséń] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [ja̠ma̠sẽ̞ɴ]

海千山千 (hiragana うみせんやません, rōmaji umisen yamasen)

1. craftiness

   海 (うみ)千 (せん)山 (やま)千 (せん)のプレイボーイ

   umisen yamasen no pureibōi

   a sly playboy; a womanizer

2. a crafty person